Many consumer electronic devices may be controlled remotely via a wireless remote control unit. Such devices include, for example, television receivers, cable or satellite receiver boxes, video cassette recorders, digital video disc (DVD) players, audio equipment such as amplifiers, receivers, compact disc players, magnetic tape players, and the like.
Such devices may be operated remotely using handheld remote control units. Commonly, such remote control units transmit IR light signals representing coded electrical signals modulated on a carrier frequency in the range of about 36–40 kHz. The transmitted IR light signal is received by an IR receiver in the consumer electronic equipment, demodulated, decoded, and the appropriate action taken.
IR remote control units are line-of-sight devices. IR repeaters have been developed to allow users to exercise remote control of devices which are out of sight of the user, e.g., when the electronic equipment is hidden in a cabinet, remotely located from the user, e.g., in different rooms in a home, or otherwise located beyond the operational range of the hand held remote control unit.
An IR repeater includes an IR sensor or detector for detecting coded IR light signals produced by the remote control unit and producing an electrical signal representative of the incoming IR signal. Commonly, an IR receiver is electrically coupled to an IR transmitter and the electrical signal is passed thereto. The IR transmitter generates an IR light signal which reproduces the original IR light signal received by the IR receiver. The consumer electronic equipment receives this IR light signal from the IR transmitter and performs the selected function. The IR detector is located where it can receive the IR light signals from the remote control unit. The IR transmitter includes an IR light emitter which is placed such that emitted light will impinge upon the IR detector of the device to be controlled, and is typically mounted directly adjacent thereto.
However, it has been discovered that the IR receivers of many consumer electronic devices are too sensitive for mounting existing IR emitters in adjacent relation thereto. Accordingly, the present invention provides a new and improved IR repeater system, emitter, and method that overcome the above-referenced problems and others.